community in Pennsylvania
Honey bee forage in Hillsville, Pennsylvania
Estimated forage here is better than about 44% of sites in Pennsylvania. Against other Pennsylvania sites it stands out most in spring (56th percentile) and lowest in fall (33rd). Biggest nearby bee crops: corn (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 4 of the last 5 years); soybeans (nearest 0.8 mi N, grown 2 of the last 5 years).
When is the honey flow in Hillsville?
- First forage: Mar 1 (early trees (maple, willow, poplar), dandelion)
- Main flow: Apr 1 to Jul 15, peaking early May (clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar))
- Fall flow: Aug 1 to Aug 31 (soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard))
- Season ends: Sep 30
Forage available to a colony through the year at the center of Hillsville, from what grows within flight range (about 3.7 miles) and when it blooms here. Dates are the model's estimate for a typical year; the spring index for this spot falls on May 4.
What the honey is made of
- Spring honey (March to June): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
- Summer honey (July and August): soybeans, clovers: white, alsike and red, roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard), summer-flowering shrubs; extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Fall honey (September to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, garden flowers, fall wildflowers (goldenrod, aster); extra light amber, likely to set over some months
- Whole season (March to November): clovers: white, alsike and red, dandelion, early trees (maple, willow, poplar), roadside weeds (clover, dandelion, sweet clover, mustard); light amber, mixed: part of it sets quickly, part stays liquid
Nectar-source estimate (plants weighted by how much bees favor them), not a pollen analysis. Full honey estimate.
Bee crops within flight range
- Corn: about 60 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms early Jul – early Aug (grown 4 of the last 5 years)
- Soybeans: about 12 acres in a typical year, nearest 0.8 mi N, blooms late Jun – late Aug (grown 2 of the last 5 years)
From USDA's crop maps for 2021–2025; fields rotate, so a crop counts by how often it was grown. Listing a field says nothing about its owner.
The land and water around Hillsville
Mostly: Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest; Northern & Central Native Ruderal Forest; Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland.
Nearest mapped water: pond, lake or river 0.02 mi E; creek, wetland or wet meadow 0.07 mi N.
How Hillsville ranks
| Against random land in | Overall | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental US | 47th | 63rd | 58th | 47th |
| Pennsylvania | 44th | 56th | 50th | 33rd |
| Erie Drift Plain | 14th | 46th | 10th | 41st |
Percentiles among 3,000 random land points in each region, scored the same way: land in general, not beekeepers' apiaries.
About 68% of the land here is scored with national averages for its vegetation type rather than measured plant cover, so the wild-plant part of this estimate is rougher than the crop part.
The national forage map around Hillsville: darker is more forage. Tap anywhere to check that exact spot.
Nearby
Bessemer 2 mi · Edinburg 3 mi · Mount Jackson 5 mi · Frizzleburg 5 mi · New Bedford 5 mi · S.N.P.J. 6 mi
All towns in Pennsylvania · National map · How the scoring works
An estimate from public maps (USDA crop maps 2021–2025 averaged, LANDFIRE vegetation), not a survey of the ground. Maps can't see garden plantings, understory density, other beekeepers' hives, or this year's weather. The point is the Census Bureau's published center of Hillsville (41.0118, -80.4973); a yard a mile or two away can differ, so check your own spot. The FEMA flood map was not checked for this page. Benchmark 2026.5, built 2026-10-19. How this works · All sources.